It will be an air journey that will not feel like one. And the jet plane's interior, plush and spacious, will not be the conventional one travellers have long been used to.

These are some of the enticements that Boeing is promising passengers in its latest production, the 747-8 Intercontinental, set to be launched in 2010.

Boeing says this long-haul jetliner will make travellers change the way they look at cabin architecture and their experience of flying.

The latest in the legacy of 747 models after the 747-400 was released back in 1989, this new jet, which can carry up to 467 people in a three class configuration, is bound to become a dominant player in the aviation industry .

In fact, Singapore was given a sneak peek of the 747-8's enlarged interior space, made possible by the extension of the trademark 'hump' on the plane's back and a 5.6m width expansion over its 747-400 predecessor, during the Asian Aerospace 2006 here.

Fantastical ideas of how to utilise it, from flatbed bunks, to an exercise station, to a business station and even a mist shower, were concocted by Boeing's Concept Centre to tease audiences.

Boeing recently unveiled in Seattle a two-storey life-sized display of the interior of the 747-8, a design set to redefine the conventional notions of cabin architecture.

The mantra of "the singularly unifying experience is flying", as sung by Boeing's director of passenger satisfaction, Klaus Brauer in a C/Net report is evident in the design philosophy, which aims not to diminish or distract from the experience of flying, but to make it the experience.

According to him, post 9-11 toughening of airport and airplane security means that travellers now board the plane with a less than happy presence of mind, and Boeing wants to change that.

Passengers boarding the plane are greeted with a spacious entryway featuring a dramatic sweeping staircase leading to the upper deck, a far-cry from the body-grazing squeezes past the greeting stewardess found on most airplanes today.

The overall style encountered is immediately different - a new curved, upswept architecture which gives people a greater feeling of space and comfort.

Windows are equal in size to the 777, measuring some 38.8 by 27.3 centimeters, which offer flyers a wider clear view of the skies, thus eliminating the confined, claustrophobic feel of air travel.

The visual experience is further enhanced by a specially designed spectrum of calm lighting, which guides you through a full flying day, helping you adjust from one time zone to the next.

Boeing has also designed a new overhead storage, which provides more luggage space so that passengers do not have to put carry-on bags in the legroom area. The easier to operate, smooth bi-directional bin latch opens with a simple push or pull.

Most impressive of all is the "Sky Loft", which will give airline operators the choice between additional main-deck seats or the opportunity to create personal suites, a lounge or a business centre.

The dramatic improvements in aesthetic appeal and passenger comfort does not compromise operational functionality, says Boeing. It has managed to increase the 747-8 in size without requiring existing airports housing 747-400s to make any changes in infrastructure.

The 747-8 has also harnessed technological advances similar to its 787 Dreamliner to make it more efficient and resource-friendly.

For starters, it says it offers the lowest seat-mile cost of any passenger plane, is more than 10 per cent lighter per seat than its rival's A380, and consumes 10 per cent less fuel per passenger, which translates into cost-savings for passengers and carriers.

The airplane wing uses the latest aerodynamics technologies to fly more efficiently and further, and coupled with the General Electric GENx engine technology, delivers fuel efficiency, lower emissions and less noise.

However, sales for the passenger version of the 747-8, which has been open for orders since November 2005, have been far from brisk. So far, only 24 orders have been placed, with Lufthansa taking 20, and another four from "VIP customers."

The freight version, the 747-8F, on the other hand, has received 54 orders, from clients such as Emirates, CargoLux, and Nippon.

Still, Boeing is confident that sales will pick up.

"We are pleased with the progress of the sales campaign. We continue to have good discussions with many of our other current 747 customers. We are pleased with the progress on those discussions. We continue to talk to them about both the passenger and freighter versions of the airplane, and anticipate many orders for both versions," Mr Tim Bader, Communications Manager, of 747 Program told AsiaOne.

Photos: Boeing